Les Miserables (2012)

[riczhang]

It was very, very good. Top honors go to Redmayne.I'd actually edge towards Barks outshining Hathaway by a bit.

I felt that Barks didn't exude emotion quite as well as Hathaway, probably simply because she acted on the stage version which didn't require that much emotion.

[Gopher]

Redmayne and Barks are pros and they showed it.Crowe wasn't anywhere near perfect but I'll defend his performance. He did the best he could with Stars and Suicide but it's clear that his focus was on just getting the notes right.. he couldn't really show off his acting chops. BUT when he wasn't in soliloquy mode, he was totally in his wheelhouse. Confrontation, my favorite number in the show, was beautiful.

Edited December 25, 2012 by Gopher

[The Movie Man]

Very good movie. I went in with low expectations but for the most part I enjoyed the movie. I thought Anne Hathaway was the star of the film even though her screentime was limited to like 20 minutes. A solid musical. One thing I didn't like was when 2 characters were singing and they didn't have any subtitles. It's tough to make out what they're singing when one is louder than the other. It annoyed me a little. (8.5/10) B+

If I had to rank them:

1. Hathaway

. Seyfried

3. Redmayne

4. Barks

5. Jackman

6. SBC/HBC

7. Crowe - He's a terrible singer. I was glad when he jumped off and killed himself so I wouldn't have to listen to his voice again.

OMG. What a Spoiler? Crowe's character dies? Almost feel like not seeing it. Bummer.

[Gopher]

Spoilers are allowed here, and he's still in most of the film.

[riczhang]

Besides, it's not really a spoiler. If you are even mildly familiar with the book or musical you'd know he dies.

[The Movie Man]

Besides, it's not really a spoiler. If you are even mildly familiar with the book or musical you'd know he dies.

Well as Hollywood usually changes the ending of books, I was hoping that the film would have shown Javert, who was just an honest policeman doing his job chasing a criminal, to be the hero and didn't die. And the the criminal would have killed himself and thrown himself into the river. Especially since it was out on Christmas, I was expecting a happier ending. Edited December 25, 2012 by The Movie Man

[4815162342]

Well as Hollywood usually changes the ending of books, I was hoping that the film would have shown Javert, who was just an honest policeman doing his job chasing a criminal, to be the hero and didn't die.And the the criminal would have killed himself and thrown himself into the river.Especially since it was out on Christmas, I was expecting a happier ending.

wait...what? Javert may be an honest policeman, but he's also cold and merciless. It takes Valjean sparing his life at the barricade to cause Javert to start having a modicum of empathy.

[The Movie Man]

wait...what? Javert may be an honest policeman, but he's also cold and merciless. It takes Valjean sparing his life at the barricade to cause Javert to start having a modicum of empathy.

Well I was only joking. But seriously, guess that means that if you don't like the law, you should just revolt. And I guess that applies to today, as the middle class, rich and republicans need to revolt against the Dems and the freebies that the poor are getting today. As everyday, the middle-class and rich ate getting poorer with everything that keeps on getting taken away from them everyday, with no end in sight. Can you say Viva La France or USAs 2010 class warfare fight.

[Cmasterclay]

Boy, without an intermission, this was LONG. My ass and eyes are both sore.With that said, it was also pretty damn incredible. Direction was better than noted, and the sets and music were excellent. Fantastic job creating the world. The performances made the movie. Jackman, Hathaway, Redmayne, SBC, and my dawg Aaron Tveit were awesome, but I think that the best in show was Samantha Barks. What an amazing singer and actress, and so pretty too. If I was Marius, I would have gone with her. Crowe is fine when he's singing low, but when he tries to belt, he crumbles. He butchered one of my favorite songs in the show, Stars. I didn't like Seyfried's quavering voice, either. But overall, I really enjoyed it and am very glad I saw it Christmas. A-

[4815162342]

Aaron Tveit grew up about 5-6 miles down the road from where I did, though we were in different school districts and he graduated high school by the time I entered so even if we were in the same district it'd have been very unlikely to have known him.

Edited December 26, 2012 by 4815162342

[Cmasterclay]

Aaron Tveit grew up about 5-6 miles down the road from where I did, though we were in different school districts and he graduated high school by the time I entered so even if we were in the same district it'd have been very unlikely to have known him.

He's pretty amazing, Next To Normal is my favorite musical and I've been a big fan ever since.

[fishstick]

This is what I said in Les Mis Boxoffice forum:

This should have good to great WOM because the audience was really attentive, there was applause and people were discussing the movie while leaving the theater and in the women`s washroom.

IMO, actors and music save the whole thing but Hooper is a terrible fuckin hack! Those close-ups were insufferable, rob the movie of its epicness due to feel of claustrophobia and for fucks sake take some creative liberties will you? Like, toning down Thenardiers or removing them from the second half altogether. They do nothing but add really odd baffonery that feels completely out of place on the screen. It works on the stage where everything is more flamboyant but here they stick like a sour thumb. I`ll discuss plot points in the review thread but in short:

It wasn`t boring at all, long yes but not boring. It did flow well despite Hoopers patch-work direction.

Redmayne was divine and Empty Chairs easily tops I Dreamed a Dream which was really great showpiece for Anne but damn was he so effortless in his aria!

Anne`s screen time is way too short even by supporting standards. She nailed IDAD but winning for that over some real supporting work, I`m really not so sure. But the song is a showstopper.

Crowe`s voice was so wrong I barely recognized two big Javert numbers because of it. He nailed the character actingwise but his part was written for big voice and he doesn`t have one. So I guess he strained it so much it didn`t sound manly which is weird because his conversational voice is manly.

I absolutely hated the fact that Hooper chose not to do close-ups for Do You Hear the People Sing? both times but shoot rooftops and show areal shot of La Marque`s funeral with the song in the background. hello, moron, this is an uplifting chorus song that MUST show people singing in order to uplift everyone to join them! WTF was copter shot of roofs,etc about? Idiot!

Tveit was great as Enjorlas needs more praise. I absolutely loved that he played the part like he was a jilted lover rather than he feared a girl would take a revolutionary from revolution.

Surprised how unconnected I was with this until In My Life/Heart Full of Love. That`s where I started to connect emotinally.

But then, I was always a fan of those two and I loved Barks as Eponine, has really warm personality and did another fave of mine On My Own well.

Jackman was really putting his heart into this, kinda trying to much at the end which is only time when his performance didn`t work for me. But then, deathbed chatter and singing is always awkward and fake so it might not be him but the premise overall.

Hooper should not be nominated for Best Director. Sorry but no. he couldn`t ruin the whole thing completely but he ruined a lot. Idiot.

Now with more spoilers:

Crowe was perfection when he put medal of honor on dead Gavroche. Perfectly in character, no overdone sentimentality, simply a man who respects the bravery and also is moved by this being a shot child. I mean, he is law and order driven but he isn`t a monster not to see how unfair and unreasonable that was.

The movie was long but the second half (being older Cosette, Marius, barricades,etc) felt rushed to me. I wished Hooper took some creative liberties and gave this part a feel of a longer span as opposed to one day or so. I mean, Valjean was such an overly protective father he wouldn`t give Cosette to someone she knew for,like, one day and 2-3 letters. Like, seriously, some feeling of passage of time that Marius and Cosette were able to develop a relationship as opposed to love at first sight ending in marriage 2 days after laying eyes on each other. It just felt out of Valjean character.

Thenardiers were awful through and through especially the scene showing what they put into meat. Just gross and they were so bombast and clownish and out of place that I really don`t think the movie would have lost anything if they were cut from the second half.

Children playing young Cosette and Gavroche looked like twins. That annoyed me because I kept wondering if they were. They weren`t related (based on last names) but couldn`t they cast kids who looked different from eahc other? Gavroche kid was aces, though.

[fishstick]

Redmayne and Barks are pros and they showed it.Crowe wasn't anywhere near perfect but I'll defend his performance. He did the best he could with Stars and Suicide but it's clear that his focus was on just getting the notes right.. he couldn't really show off his acting chops. BUT when he wasn't in soliloquy mode, he was totally in his wheelhouse. Confrontation, my favorite number in the show, was beautiful.

His acting was great, actually, when you look into his eyes. he really acted the shit out of that part through his eyes and some facial muscles between songs. But I agree about the voice because he was given songs for big voices and it isn`t his fault that he was cast. However, I`d say that the scene with dead Gavroche brought humanity to character precisely thanks to his acting that was pitch perfect. IMO, Jackman stumbled actingwise at the end. Maybe it`s because deathbed singing or talking is ridiculous emotion manipulator itself but even before Cosette arrived, when he was alone, I didn`t see a dying man but a desperate Oscar wanker. I can`t pinpoint why but there was something off, too much trying for sympathy. I don`t know.

[Travod]

I HAVE FOUND JESUS, OR HAVE AT LEAST HEARD HIS VOICE.The last song <3

[Bluebomb]

I've gotta give props to Colm Wilkinson (as the Bishop). He was also amazing.

[JackO]

Les Miserables from what I gathered, was the story of a former prisoner Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) who changed his ways after a priest did not turn him over to the cops. However, there is one cop who hates him named Javert (Russell Crowe) and stalks him. Fantine (Anne Hathaway) works for the reformed Valjean and she gets fired. She becomes a prostitute and dies but before dying she convinces Valjean to take care of Cosette (Amanda Seyfreid). Cosette grows up and sees Marius (Eddie Redmayne) and falls in love by eye contact. Eponine (Samantha Barks) also loves Marius but she is friendzoned. Revolution. Guns. Everybody dies. The end.I expected to be bored. I brought some sour patch kids in order to stay awake. To my surprise the first half of the film was so godawful I seriously considered such a godawful train wreck that I was too busy laughing my ass off to worry about being bored.This is not so much a film but an Oscar demo reel personally shot by Tom Hooper. I couldn't take Jackman seriously after he breaks through the 4th wall in order to beg for an Oscar and the terrible CGId letter pieces. Jackman is hit and miss throughout the movie but int he end I think he is in over Phoenix.Oh my god Russell Crowe singing that stars song is the worst scene in a movie I have seen all year. The man simply cannot sing. I was laughing so hard I was crying. It would be one thing if he was just a supporting character but as co-lead? Wow. Just a terrible choice.However, the actors can't take all the blame. The first half of the film has so rushed. People magically appear and disappear. I know people nitpicked the TDKR about the day-night shot from bank robbery to the Bat leaving but there is literally seasons passing by within one shot, not just night and day. Jackman sings a song and he magically appears at a church. Luckily the amateurishness is less garish when the revolution starts by my god, it's terrible. Another thing that annoyed the hell out of me was that in the middle of songs or when people were talking, the camera would cut off like half their face or focus of something stupid. One good example was when Jackman woke up in the middle of the night to steal the silver and the camera focused on the ceiling. Why? Or in the middle of Hathaway's big number her head gets blocked by some big brown thing.On Hathaway, I wanted to like her. I just saw TDKR again yesterday and her Catwoman was pretty fucking awesome. But here, the closeups betrayed her. Every move was rehearsed and you can see it. And in a film full of closeups her little scene is no bigger then the rest of the solos. It all ran together for me. I still like Field more but think the only way she could win is if Lincoln swept, which I think is more likely after seeing this film.But her rehearsed overacting wasn't her fault. It seemed to be directorial decision as the actor's were all pretty fine in groups and while they were talking with one another, it just seemed that when the solos happened, Hooper told them, ACT! ACT! MORE! TWITCH YOUR LEFT EYEBROW! MORE HISTRIONICS! DO YOU WANT THAT OSCAR? NOW CRY! LET EM HAVE IT! In a film of overactors, she was just one of many.I liked the second half of the film more then the first though. The editing calmed down, there were slightly less annoying closeups and Hooper only cut off people faces with wide angles instead of closeups.I think Barks did the best out of everybody since she wasn't so much contorting her face into every emotion imaginable into a single song. She was much more organic. Of course, her death song kind of ruined a lot for me but I think she and Redmayne did well.Redmayne's voice seemed most appropriate for the material. I could see why he was getting more raves then anyone else. In this train wreck, anyone singing halfway decent and not overacting is like Jesus.I also found it interesting that this film is allegedly supposed to be playing for families yet it is almost as violent as Django and features a prostitute getting raped and felt up, a kid dying, and a bunch of close ups to dead actors. At least Django wasn't exploiting it's death for crocodile tears.I could see why this may work for some people. If you like the characters then you'll be fully invested. If you are a passerby, then it's a bunch of actors begging for awards.I give it a C

[Dark 33Legend of the Sith]

This was an excellent movie. I went in without knowing much of anything about the story. The music was fantastic and Jackman gave an Oscar worthy performance (despite the inevitable Day Lewis). Hathaway was also excellent in her shorter role and deserves Oscar if she gets it. I loved the continuous shot of her in the dream song. Great and powerful stuff.

I laughed immediately when Cohen and Carter started singing "Master of the House" as that is the song George has in his head and sings it over and over again in a memorable Seinfeld episode. LOL

One thing I am puzzled with is some of the criticism of Crowe. I thought he was FANTASTIC. I agree he is down on the totem pole for pure singing voice but he is certainly not bad. As far as the acting chops there are few better in all of Hollywood. I loved his character arc and I thought he did a superb job with it. The moment where he put the metal on the boy is one of my favorites of the film.

Finally, the last 5 minutes was great. Could feel the emotion coming through as Jackman "left his body" with Hathaway. And the rousing finish was very memorable and moving. It was a great and unique movie experience.

A-

[riczhang]

I can't believe you even paid to see the film, JackO.

[Gopher]

I anticipated JackO's review more than anyone else's. He didn't disappoint.Masters of the House is a jarring experience because the film's tone takes a sudden shift. It works better on stage, but they became funnier and funnier each time they showed up, I thought.I don't understand the criticisms for Jackman's Oscar begging... I thought it was a tremendous performance, never schmaltzy, always genuine. The film DOES beg for an Oscar with ''Suddenly,'' a song added for the sole purpose of the film competing for a Best Original Song win. It's an okay, forgettable song that's completely unnecessary to the rest of the show.The film has a couple of truly awful moments, most of them involving horrible CGI. But one of them, sadly, is Russell Crowe singing Stars. The poor guy is so focused on getting the notes right that he shows no sign or emotion or 'acting', which Crowe is great at during the rest of the film. The film knows this and the camera swivels around him and focuses on the terrible CGI in the distance. It's a brief but lingering embarassment of a number.But honestly, none of this bothered me to the point of disliking this film's effort or ambition or even the experience itself. There's so many moving, awe-inspiring scenes in Les Mis that it's truly one of my favorites of the year.

Edited December 27, 2012 by Gopher

[CloneWars]

I thought it was great. I knew nothing about Les Mis before seeing this and was blown away. I loved Russel Crowe. I think he gave the best performance even though I have to agree that his singing was not up to par. However, I loved Hugh Jackmans' character. Great story. Well done.A